Problem:
The issue we are facing with food waste is a complex issue with a seemingly simple solution, eat the food. The problem starts in the farms where some of the food does not even make it out of the ground. In Norfolk, England a field of spinach was ploughed back into the ground after being rejected by the supermarket for having some grass growing in it (Stuart). The supermarkets that distribute the produce to consumers create the standards that fruits and vegetables must meet. If a carrot is too crooked, an apple is too big or too small, or anything is not up to the cosmetic standard of the supermarket it is discarded. There is nothing wrong with the food but it is still thrown out. Of all the waste that a supermarket generates, 63% of it is food waste (Mather).
Implications:
The effects of wasting all this food are numerous and far reaching. All of the time and resources that went into that product are wasted. That means an increase in greenhouse gases, less land available for trees to be planted and wasted time working on those crops. That wasted food then gets put into landfills although some of it is used to feed livestock. The farmers are not allowed to sell what the supermarket labels as not up to the standard so none of it can go to human consumption. In the world there are over a billion malnourished individuals and the US alone manages to waste approximately 40 million tons of food each year. That’s enough food to feed all of those hungry people. The water wasted to grow all the wasted crops is enough to provide for 9 billion people and if trees were planted on the land that is used for wasted crops it would compensate for 100% of the man made greenhouse gas emissions (Stuart).
Stakeholders:
The stakeholders for this issue are everyone but to be more specific, it is the farmers, retailers, and those in need that have the most to gain through resolving this issue. The farmers could make more effective use of their land instead of wasting 25% of their crop each year (Stuart). The retailers could market produce that is not cosmetically perfect at a discount making food more affordable for those in need. And the millions that go hungry each day could be fed with food that would have otherwise been thrown out.
Solution:
The goal of solving this problem is to take the food that normally goes to waste and distribute it to those in need. This needs to begin with research and raising awareness. Supermarkets should be required to publish the amount of food they waste each year, including the food that never leaves the farm. There also needs to be a discussion about the laws protecting those who donate from being sued. Supermarkets claim that they worry about donating food they cannot sell because if someone does get sick from they do not want to be the ones to blame. The next step would then be to set up a distribution system to take this wasted food and give it to those who need it.
Example Events: Feeding the 5000 was an event organized by Tristham Stuart that collected food that would have otherwise been discarded and distributed it for free to the people of London. During the event 5000 curries, over 500 pounds of smoothies, and more than 6,000 pounds of groceries were given away for free (Feeding the 5000). During the event they also managed to get over 1,000 signatures towards requiring grocery stores to publish reports on how much food they waste.
Problem:
The issue we are facing with food waste is a complex issue with a seemingly simple solution, eat the food. The problem starts in the farms where some of the food does not even make it out of the ground. In Norfolk, England a field of spinach was ploughed back into the ground after being rejected by the supermarket for having some grass growing in it (Stuart). The supermarkets that distribute the produce to consumers create the standards that fruits and vegetables must meet. If a carrot is too crooked, an apple is too big or too small, or anything is not up to the cosmetic standard of the supermarket it is discarded. There is nothing wrong with the food but it is still thrown out. Of all the waste that a supermarket generates, 63% of it is food waste (Mather).
Implications:
The effects of wasting all this food are numerous and far reaching. All of the time and resources that went into that product are wasted. That means an increase in greenhouse gases, less land available for trees to be planted and wasted time working on those crops. That wasted food then gets put into landfills although some of it is used to feed livestock. The farmers are not allowed to sell what the supermarket labels as not up to the standard so none of it can go to human consumption. In the world there are over a billion malnourished individuals and the US alone manages to waste approximately 40 million tons of food each year. That’s enough food to feed all of those hungry people. The water wasted to grow all the wasted crops is enough to provide for 9 billion people and if trees were planted on the land that is used for wasted crops it would compensate for 100% of the man made greenhouse gas emissions (Stuart).
Stakeholders:
The stakeholders for this issue are everyone but to be more specific, it is the farmers, retailers, and those in need that have the most to gain through resolving this issue. The farmers could make more effective use of their land instead of wasting 25% of their crop each year (Stuart). The retailers could market produce that is not cosmetically perfect at a discount making food more affordable for those in need. And the millions that go hungry each day could be fed with food that would have otherwise been thrown out.
Solution:
The goal of solving this problem is to take the food that normally goes to waste and distribute it to those in need. This needs to begin with research and raising awareness. Supermarkets should be required to publish the amount of food they waste each year, including the food that never leaves the farm. There also needs to be a discussion about the laws protecting those who donate from being sued. Supermarkets claim that they worry about donating food they cannot sell because if someone does get sick from they do not want to be the ones to blame. The next step would then be to set up a distribution system to take this wasted food and give it to those who need it.
Example Events:
Feeding the 5000 was an event organized by Tristham Stuart that collected food that would have otherwise been discarded and distributed it for free to the people of London. During the event 5000 curries, over 500 pounds of smoothies, and more than 6,000 pounds of groceries were given away for free (Feeding the 5000). During the event they also managed to get over 1,000 signatures towards requiring grocery stores to publish reports on how much food they waste.
Works Cited:
Mather, Tina. "How the Top 5 Supermarkets Waste Food." AlterNet.org. N.p., 18 Apr 2010. Web. 15 Sep 2011. aaaaa<http://www.alternet.org/investigations/146487/how_the_top_5_supermarkets_waste_food>.
Stuart, Tristram ristram. Waste, Uncovering The Global Food Scandal. W. W. Norton & Company, 2009. Print.
aaaaa<http://books.google.com/books/feeds/volumes?q=0393068366>.
"The Event." Feeding the 5000. N.p., 16 Dec 2009. Web. 15 Sep 2011. <http://www.feeding5k.org/event.php>.